Ombré or Balayage? Dip Dye or Splashlights?

Hair colour has never been so exciting now that we have so many colour techniques and gorgeous shades to choose from.

Having said that, it can also be a bit mind boggling trying to work out whether you should have an ombré, balayage or babylights, a dip dye or splashlights… which is why we’ve put together this guide to explain the differences.

Remember, if you are having a new hair colour, please remember to have a skin test at your salon at least 48 hours before your appointment.

Balayage gives you sun-kissed hair

Balayage means ‘to sweep’ or ‘to paint’ in French. The principal idea is to create soft, natural looks, with the finish being very soft with less noticeable regrowth lines. Your hair will have a casual, beachy finish with less symmetrical, random highlights. This looks great on thick hair that sits below the shoulders and it can be worn straight or wavy.

Balayage grows out beautifully and more naturally than other hair colouring techniques, so you don’t get an obvious regrowth line between appointments.

Ombré gives a more defined line of colour

Ombré is very similar to balayage but gives you a more obvious colour difference with darker roots and hair that is lighter at the ends.

More of a fashion statement than the sun-kissed balayage, it looks particularly good on wavy or curly hair because the line between the two shades is more blended with the curls.

Usually around half to two thirds of your hair will be coloured and there will be a fairly straight line showing the change in colours from dark to light.

Babylights for natural, subtle highlights

Babylights are the finest of highlights which are often added around the face to soften and brighten up your look. Colour is applied to fine sections of hair to give a multi-dimensional, radiant, natural-looking effect.

They are called babylights because they remind us of those little wisps of light hair that we used to have when we were young.

Our hair gets darker as we age so if you want babylights you are going to have to fake it with some gorgeous fine highlights!

Funky dip-dyed hair for fashionistas

If you want to add a bold colour to your hair without opting for a full head of colour, try a dip-dye hair colour. The colour is added towards the tips of your hair.

This is very similar to the ombré but usually only coats the ends of the hair. The intention is to make it look as if your hair has been dipped in paint!

So now you know!

At Inspire Beauty in Catford we are experts in hair cutting, styling and colouring all types of hair. If you see a hair colour you’d like to explore, why not come in for a complimentary hair colour consultation so we can talk through the options? We look forward to seeing you soon.